The Silent Killer In Your Car

Failing to change engine oil could lead to costly repairs but it will not normally harm you. The use of old brake fluid however, could easily lead to total brake failure and result in a crash, causing serious injuries or even  a fatality.

Brake fluid does not last forever and  needs to be changed regularly. At Total Care Auto we can test the boiling point of the brake fluid in your car and advise you about the correct time to change it.

Brake fluid is based on ethylene glycol with various additives to prevent corrosion; ethylene glycol is hygroscopic and gradually absorbs moisture from the air, which lowers its high boiling point. This could then cause complete brake failure under certain driving conditions known as a brake fade.

Brake fluid is not something you can use until you notice deterioration. With old fluid, one minute you have perfect brakes and the next you have none.

The use of old fluid is literally a death trap into which many people have fallen. The Silent Killer In Your Car. We read of drivers falling asleep at the wheel when they apparently drive into the back of another vehicle with no sign of braking or apparently fail to brake  for a mountain bend. Some of these fatalities could be the result of old brake fluid boiling and usually the fluid has drained away even if the investigation is aware of this possibility.

The rate at which brake fluid will absorb water and become dangerous depends on many factors. The climate, the amount and type of driving and braking, the condition of the braking system and components, whether the car is garaged (or not), the type of  fluid etc. etc. It can therefore be wasteful and inadequate to specify fixed intervals for changing the brake fluid, just as it would not be necessary to change tyres or brake  pads once a year.

The key question is not how much water is in the fluid but what is the boiling point.

At Total Care Auto we have state of the art equipment to accurately measure the boiling point of the brake fluid in your car.  We care about your costs and wish to save you money whenever it is possible, but not to the detriment of your safety.

For the price of a combo meal, we at Total Care Auto can test the boiling point of the brake fluid in your car. And for the price of two small family dinners, we can flush your brake fluid and replace it with new fresh fluid; giving you the peace of mind next time you step on that Brake Pedal.